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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — the most important part
  4. root — of a plant
  5. current — of water
  6. rush — hurry
  7. key — for a lock
  8. root — the cause
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. root — of a word
  12. pit — in a race
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. key — in music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spring — of water
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com